1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of image forming devices and, more particularly, to a kiosk-installable printer having a lower exit path utilized to deliver printed media sheets to the lower front exterior of the printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some image forming devices, such as printers, utilize either C-shaped or S-shaped paper paths, such as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, to deliver a printed media sheet to an output stack face down at a collection site located on the top of the printer. These paper path shapes are advantageous in that they allow the output stack to be collated. It can be readily observed that with either a C-shaped or S-shaped paper path, the printed media sheet is outputted within the printer footprint.
Representative printers having the C-shaped paper path are described in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2007/0182086 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,292,820 both assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The operations of these printers are conventionally well-known. In each printer, after a media sheet is introduced through either an input tray or a multi-purpose feeder, the media sheet is aligned and then fed to image forming stations downstream. The printers are capable of forming an image on one or both sides of the media sheet and delivering it to the top collection station of the printers. However, these printers are not capable of outputting the printed media sheet beyond the footprint of the printer so that it could be easily delivered out of a kiosk or other like enclosure to the general public.
Thus, there is a need for an innovation to overcome this shortcoming so that the market for these printers can be expanded by adapting them for use in kiosks and the like.